KJ Adams may have played his final game for Kansas, but his time with the Jayhawks isn’t over. Although the veteran forward has exhausted his college eligibility, coach Bill Self revealed Monday that Adams will remain with the program in a new role on the coaching staff for the 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered in March during the NCAA Tournament loss. While his playing career is on hold, his presence around the program won’t be.
“We’re going to hire him in some capacity,” Self said on Monday at the Topeka Jayhawk Club. “KJ’s going to be part of our staff next year. So, in whatever capacity that is, I don’t know from a title standpoint yet, but whatever it is to allow him to stick around and be at practice every day and also work on rehab.”
The Kansas staff is in a period of transition, with longtime assistant Norm Roberts announcing his retirement and former director of basketball operations Fred Quartlebaum moving on. Both positions have since been filled, as Jayhawks great Jacque Vaughn steps in for Roberts and and Lexi Price, who joined the program in December 2021, promoted to director of basketball operations.
Kansas endured its worst season in more than 35 years, finishing 21-13 overall with a first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks’ struggles signaled a need for change within one of college basketball’s most storied programs.
Self enters his 23rd season as coach, but Kansas has reached the Sweet 16 just once in the last six postseasons — a national championship run in 2021–22, when Adams earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors in a limited role.
Adams went on to start regularly over the next three seasons, earning Big 12 Most Improved Player honors in 2022–23. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game during his career. In his final appearance this March, Adams suffered a torn Achilles while going for a rebound late in Kansas’ first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Arkansas. He underwent successful surgery shortly after the season.
“He’s doing fine,” Self said. “I think he’s in a boot, has one or two more weeks in a boot, but the doctors say he’s progressing great. But, it’s still going to be a year before he’s able to do too much.”
Read the full article here
